cooperative

Or co-op·er·a·tive

[koh-op-er-uh-tiv, -op-ruh-tiv, -op-uh-rey-tiv]

adjective

1. working or acting together willingly for a common purpose or benefit.

2. demonstrating a willingness to cooperate.

   The librarian was cooperative in helping us find the book.

3. pertaining to economic cooperation.

   a cooperative business.

4. involving or denoting an educational program comprising both classroom study and on-the-job or technical training, especially in colleges and universities.

noun

1. a jointly owned enterprise engaging in the production or distribution of goods or the supplying of services, operated by its members for their mutual benefit, typically organized by consumers or farmers.

2. Also called co-op. Also called cooperative apartment. 

   1. a building owned and managed by a corporation in which shares are sold, entitling the shareholders to occupy individual units in the building.

   2. an apartment in such a building.

cooperative

/ kəʊˈɒpərətɪv, -ˈɒprə- /

adjective

1. willing to cooperate; helpful

2. acting in conjunction with others; cooperating

3. 1. (of an enterprise, farm, etc) owned collectively and managed for joint economic benefit

   2. (of an economy or economic activity) based on collective ownership and cooperative use of the means of production and distribution

noun

1. a cooperative organization

2. Sometimes shortened to: coop. Also called: cooperative apartment. a block of flats belonging to a corporation in which shares are owned in proportion to the relative value of the flat occupied Compare condominium

Other Word Forms

• cooperatively adverb
• co-operatively adverb
• cooperativeness noun
• co-operativeness noun
• uncooperative adjective
• uncooperatively adverb
• uncooperativeness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cooperative¹

From the Late Latin word cooperātīvus, dating back to 1595–1605. See cooperate, -ive

Example Sentences

“That leads to this ironic negotiating stance in which it seems they need to be more cooperative to reinforce the existing order,” says Logan Wright, a partner at Rhodium Group.

Read more on Barron's

Farmers who own New Zealand dairy cooperative Fonterra voted Thursday to sell its consumer business to French group Lactalis, a decision slammed by the country's foreign minister as "utter madness".

Read more on Barron's

The rest of the reactor’s power capacity will be purchased by a not-for-profit electricity cooperative.

Read more on Barron's

The rest of the reactor’s power capacity will be purchased by a not-for-profit electricity cooperative.

Read more on Barron's

I love how the invocation sets a calm, cooperative, even loving tone at a time when too many civic gatherings in this country are torn by ill will, short tempers, sometimes violence.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• collegial 
• concerted 
• coordinated www.thesaurus.com
• harmonious 
• interdependent 
• reciprocal 
• symbiotic 
• united